The bubonic plague struck with force in Wittenburg, Germany in 1527. Wittenburg University faculty and many prominent citizens relocated to safer areas. Reformer Martin Luther was one of the lone holdouts who decided to stay put and sent a pastoral...
Nativity plays for children have long been a staple of churches during the Christmas season. I participated in nativity dramas as a child. I was never chosen to play the lead role of Joseph since I couldn't be trusted to remain at Mary's side...
Connie Ruzich was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to research lesser-known poetry written in England during World War I. The irony is not lost on me that soldiers endeavored to write beautiful poems despite the ravages of war. One poem Connie...
John's gospel doesn't commence with a baby in a manger or angels singing glory to God, or shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night. John's starting point is creation itself, "In the beginning was the Word” (John 1.2). Genesis begins the...
We need to talk about depression during Advent. December brings diminishing daylight and colder temperatures to drive us indoors. Add to it unrealistic expectations about Christmas or nostalgia about holidays from long ago. Despite the traditional...
The Christmas story is full of paradoxes. You may recall from English class that a paradox is a seemingly contradictory statement that, upon further reflection, makes sense (the Greek word for paradox means "to think beyond"). Consider the paradox...
John 3.16 is the world's most popular Bible verse. It is searched online two million times monthly the world over. Martin Luther called it "The heart of the Bible, the gospel in miniature." Love is an essential attribute of God. While we have only...
Believers are often exhorted to wake up in Scripture. Spiritual lethargy is a killer sin that can undermine life with God. Paul writes to Christians in Rome, “The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber” (Rom. 13.1). Paul writes...
There is something in me that wants to clear Thomas' name. People through the ages have hung on this apostle the derogatory label "Doubting Thomas" for his caution concerning reports that Jesus had been raised from the dead, "Unless I see the nail...
It’s called the “Rule of Three.” People understand ideas and concepts best in groups of three. In writing, the Rule of Three serves as an essential storytelling principle. In comedy, the Rule of Three fits with a classic joke structure. In nursery...
How can I summarize Christian-Muslim relations? Let's just say it's complicated. Whether we lay the blame on Muslim wars of expansion or retaliation by Christian crusades, both religions share blame for mistreating one another.Muslim Moors...
I feature some people for prayer more than once, especially those for whom more is written, and prayers are more plentiful. Such is the case with Martin Luther (1486-1546). This is now the fourth time I have highlighted one of his prayers. While...
Once upon a time, there was a season called Advent, but it has fallen on hard times in recent years. The reason for its decline will hardly surprise you. There’s no money to be made in Advent! Christmas is what drives the money train. This would...
Harriet Beecher Stowe exposed the sale and separation of enslaved families as a critique against slavery in her groundbreaking novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The death of Harriet's eighteen-month-old son Samuel of cholera gave her deep empathy for...
The Social Gospel movement in America emerged in the late nineteenth century in the wake of rising urban industrialization. Preachers and revivalists continued to rail against the social vices of drinking, smoking, and extramarital sex, but now, a...
What is the difference between a Pilgrim and a Puritan? Pilgrims were a name given to a small band of English immigrants who came to America in 1620 on the Mayflower and settled in Plymouth. They were originally called "Separatists" for breaking...
Aristotle praised moderation as a virtue. Given how much polarization there is in American politics right now, I concur with Aristotle's sentiment. In Christian parlance, moderation is closely aligned with the biblical word "temperance."Edward...
Some people have an influence disproportionate to their humble circumstances. Wilhelm Loehe (also spelled Lohe, 1808-1872) is one such person. Wilhelm was derogatorily labeled "a pietist" by the examiner grading his trial sermon. It was the age of...